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The Constitutional Court has ruled that Parliament acted unlawfully in blocking a proposed impeachment inquiry into President Cyril Ramaphosa over the Phala Phala farm theft case.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it would participate in any impeachment process and insists that every public office bearer should be held to account.
Political parties represented in Parliament have reacted sharply to the Constitutional Court ruling on the Phala Phala matter.
Some opposition parties have described it as a major test for constitutional democracy.
The apex court found that the National Assembly acted inconsistent with the Constitution when it rejected an independent panel’s report into President Cyril Ramaphosa’s conduct relating to the theft at his Phala Phala farm in Bela-Bela, Limpopo in February 2020.
The DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis says, “This is a very serious moment for Parliament, for the presidency, and for South Africa’s democracy. The DA will participate fully and constructively in the impeachment committee. We will be guided by the facts and by the evidence placed before the committee and by our constitutional duty to the rule of law. We will not prejudge the outcome, but nor will we allow any person, no matter how high their office, to be placed above accountability.”
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